


Fate's Lighthouse

by ruji



Series: Soul's Harbour [2]
Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Friendship/Love, Future Fic, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-07-27 04:18:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7603111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruji/pseuds/ruji
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Someone old, someone new, something borrowed, something blue. </i><br/>Fate catches Fuji off guard in an unexpected encounter. Knots are waiting to be tied, untied and retied.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Yuuta's Getting Married

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place three months after Soul's Harbour. Sometime in June.

  
****“You look great, stop fiddling with your necktie,” Fuji said with an amused smile, glancing towards his best friend from the corner of his eye.

They were at a five-star hotel located in the heart of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Although Fuji had spent most of his life thus far in Tokyo, he had only ever stepped into such luxurious hotels twice; the first was on an assignment when he had been working as a journalist, and now, for Yuuta’s big day.

Everything was bright and glamorous, even the elevator buttons looked freshly polished. The staff were all-smiles and polite and spoke in precise volumes that could only be heard by the clients they were speaking to. Despite the dozens of people lingering around the spacious lobby; some checking in, some checking out, others simply sitting or standing around seemingly waiting for somebody else; all that could be heard was a quiet buzz of voices weaving among the soothing notes of Debussy’s Clair de Lune playing in the background.

Fuji wasn’t exactly accustomed to such environments, or the suit he was wearing, but Saeki looked obviously uneasy in formal wear. He had been peering into every reflective surface they came across since they stepped into the hotel, checking his hair and adjusting his tie, even now as they waited for the lift to arrive.

“I haven’t worn a suit since I was 20, you know,” Saeki muttered as he finally gave up on his tie. His sister had had a traditional Japanese ceremony when she got hitched two years ago, so their whole family had dressed in traditional kimono for the occasion then. Turning towards Fuji as he straightened his blazer, he couldn’t resist the urge to lament, “Who wears white ties these days anyway, it looks so old-fashioned.”

Fuji chuckled and shrugged his shoulders lightly, “It’s the conventional getup. I’m the social outlaw here.”

Saeki let out an exasperated sigh and slid his hands into his pockets, making a mental note to buy himself a decent suit sometime soon. The only suit he owned was the one he wore to his Coming of Age ceremony. He could still fit into it, but the quality and look of it was definitely not befitting of his age now, much less to be worn to a wedding held at a five-star hotel. He had borrowed his father’s suit this time, and while the black suit itself looked smart, the traditional white tie and white pocket square didn’t sit well with his fashion tastes.

Fuji, on the other hand, had chosen a sapphire blue bow tie to go with his suit, forgoing a handkerchief in his breast pocket and opting for a silver lapel pin in a swallow design instead. His pointed black leather shoes shinier than the marble flooring under their feet. His hair, which had long since grown past his shoulders, was gathered into a ponytail that looked stylishly laid-back yet pulled together, leaving his bangs and a few chin-length pieces of hair to frame his face.

“You could’ve cut the boy some slack on his wedding day, aniki,” Saeki commented, knowing that Fuji had deliberately picked the most unconventional combination of accessories to make Yuuta twitch. He even had a long ribbon in a matching blue tied around his ponytail.

“Saa… at least I’m wearing a suit,” Fuji’s smile widened, pleased with his dressing. It had been a while since he last saw Yuuta. To say that he was excited to see his baby brother walk down the aisle would be an understatement, but even more so than that, he couldn’t wait to see Yuuta’s response to his fashion choice. He would probably let the lapel pin slide, but he’d probably roll his eyes at the bow tie, and complain about his hair, Fuji thought. Yuuta had been eyeing his hair as if it was turning into Medusa’s since he decided to let it grow out a couple of years ago.

The lift arrived with a crisp ding, and the doors slid open with a silent swoosh a few seconds later. Fuji stepped into the empty lift and turned to face the panel of buttons on the right side, Saeki stepping in behind him. Two other people boarded after them, moving into the far opposite corner of the narrow space. Fuji pushed the button for the fourth floor.

“Sorry to trouble you, seventh floor, please,” a man’s voice said from behind them. Fuji’s hand reflexively moved towards the panel, but froze midway as alarms went off in his head.

_That voice…_

Noticing that Fuji hadn’t responded, Saeki gave his friend a nudge, then reached over to hit the ‘7’ button.

“Thank you,” the same, deep voice said again.

Fuji’s eyes snapped open, his breath caught in his throat. Perhaps his ears had played a trick on him the first time, but he wouldn’t mistake that voice twice. Stiffly, he turned around to look at the man who had spoken.

The doors quietly closed behind Fuji and the lift started moving in a smooth motion.

 

* * *

  
Sensing a pair of eyes on him, the man lowered his gaze from the number display above the door to the man standing before the button panel.  
  
“Fuji…?”  
  
He hadn’t recognized Fuji because of the suit and the long hair, but now that his gaze was locked on to the other’s azure eyes, he didn’t have a single trace of doubt.  
  
“Tezuka. It’s been a long time,” Fuji said softly, trying to keep his voice even. His heart was thumping so wildly in his chest his eardrums were ringing.  
  
Saeki turned to glance at Tezuka as well, then quickly shifted his gaze back to his best friend. Fuji was clearly shaken by the unexpected encounter; he hadn’t even managed to put on his usual smile.  
  
“It has indeed,” the ex-Seigaku captain replied with a curt nod. “How have you been?”  
  
“...good,” Fuji muttered, his smile slipping into place. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“Dinner. You?”  
  
“Yuuta’s getting married,” the honey-haired man answered mechanically, his thoughts reeling as his eyes flittered back and forth between Tezuka and the Caucasian woman standing next to him.  
  
Saeki had been silently observing her too. Tezuka had been living overseas for years, so it wasn’t that surprising to see him with a foreign woman. She didn’t seem to understand Japanese, as she had been looking at them curiously as the two ex-teammates conversed. She was tall and gorgeous. Not supermodel-gorgeous, but definitely the type who would make people steal a second glance on the streets.  
  
She looked sophisticated and elegant dressed in a fitting boat-neck pencil dress that ended just below her knees, in a dark green colour that brought out her emerald eyes. Her feet were perfectly manicured and clad in black slingback heels. The ends of dark blonde hair that held a gentle wave in them hovered just above her shoulders, drawing attention to the slender collarbones peeking out from the top of her dress. She didn’t seem to be wearing much makeup, just enough to accentuate her features, and a touch of gloss that added a subtle hint of sexiness.  
  
Saeki wasn’t exactly well-acquainted with Tezuka; most of what he knew about the man was from what Fuji had told him, so if he had to imagine Tezuka dating a woman, he would have imagined him dating someone like Fuji - beautiful and confident, graceful and smart, gentle yet strong. And that woman standing right next to Tezuka now seemed to fit the bill, at least where appearances were concerned. She did look a few years older than Tezuka though, but Saeki couldn’t be sure since Caucasians tended to look more mature than Asians.  
  
“Congratulations,” Tezuka said, just as a sound went off to announce that they had arrived at the fourth floor.  
  
“Thanks…” Fuji uttered, wanting to say more, but the words dying in his throat. There was so much he wanted to ask and wanted to say to Tezuka, he didn’t know where to begin, or if it was even all right to begin. They were nothing more than acquaintances now, whatever they used to share was just a fragment of the past. He had been the one who cut off all the strings that connected them.  
  
The lift doors slid open, and Saeki gave his friend a pat on the shoulder as he moved to alight first.  
  
“It was good to see you again, Fuji.”  
  
Fuji drew in a deep breath and gathered himself, hiding his eyes behind a bright smile, “You too, Tezuka. Enjoy your evening.”  
  
He pivoted on his heels and stepped out of the lift, his gaze fixed on the floor until the doors had closed.

  
* * *

  
“Hey… are you okay?”  
  
“Did I hold myself all right back there?” Fuji asked softly. It was only now that he noticed the pressure in his chest. It felt like someone was tugging on his veins and arteries and his heart was about to be ripped out.  
  
“I could see that you were struggling, but that’s because I’ve mastered the art of reading you,” Saeki answered with a smirk, attempting to lighten the mood. “Common folks like them wouldn’t have noticed a thing.”  
  
Fuji looked up at Saeki and smiled weakly, “Tezuka is not common folk. He knows me.”  
  
“A decade ago, maybe,” Saeki said with a shrug of his shoulders. “ Are you okay with that?”  
  
“Hm? Yeah, I’m okay.”  
  
“I meant, are you really okay with that? Just ‘hi, good to see you, bye’?”  
  
Fuji stared at Saeki for a moment, the many questions he had been dying to ask Tezuka running through his mind again. “Are you saying that I should go after him? Kojirou, he has someone now--”  
  
“You don’t know for sure,” Saeki interrupted.  
  
“What…?”  
  
“He wasn’t wearing a ring. I looked.”  
  
“...not everyone wears their wedding ring. And even if that wasn’t his wife, I shouldn’t be interrupting his date.”  
  
“Tezuka’s the type who would wear his ring if he’s married, don’t you think?”  
  
Saeki bit down on his lip to prevent himself from taking his words too far. He wasn’t sure if he should go on. What if Tezuka was married? What if he wasn’t? He didn’t know which would hurt Fuji more. He wasn’t sure which he would rather watch, Fuji breaking down, or Fuji pining for Tezuka for the rest of his life.  
  
But he had a hunch that deep down, Fuji was hoping that he would give him one more push.  
  
“Come on, Syuusuke. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to catch up with an old friend. You’re not going to ruin his date just by asking if he wants to grab a drink sometime.”  
  
Fuji peered up at his best friend, eyes wide with uncertainty.  
  
“Go. Seventh floor. I’ll wait for you here,” Saeki said as he stretched his arm out to push the button for the lift.

  
* * *

  
Tezuka had his eyes on Fuji’s back as the lift doors closed in. There was something off about Fuji, but he couldn’t tell what. Something about Fuji had changed, not just his appearance, but that shouldn’t be surprising since he hadn’t seen or spoken to him in a long, long time.  
  
“Was that a friend?”  
  
Breaking out of his thoughts, Tezuka turned his head to look at his companion and nodded, answering in fluent English, “We attended the same junior high and high school.”  
  
“He looked happy to see you,” the woman commented with a smile.  
  
“Perhaps. He’s always smiling though, it’s hard to tell what he’s thinking.”  
  
It was never easy to guess how the tensai’s mind worked, but he had prided himself in his understanding of the eccentric youth that was Fuji. That thought brought back many memories, and as if a long forgotten habit had been awakened, Fuji’s strange demeanour earlier on nagged at his thoughts like a mystery waiting to be unraveled, just like how it used to be.  
  
He couldn’t put a finger on the man who was with Fuji. He looked familiar, he was almost certain they had been acquainted, but he just couldn’t remember his name. Not to mention, Fuji seemed to share a close relationship with that man. The fact that they were attending Fuji’s brother’s wedding together must mean something.  
  
He had been under the impression that Fuji had moved on and was happy, that’s why he had allowed Fuji to walk out of his life and himself out of Fuji’s. But something was amiss. The smile that had been Fuji’s lips was not genuine, that much he knew.  
  
The lift came to a stop at the seventh floor, the opening of the doors cutting through his thoughts. Tezuka led the way to the teppanyaki restaurant where he had made a reservation for two, but stopped just outside the restaurant.  
  
“There’s something I needed to speak with Fuji about. Do you mind heading in first?”  
  
“All right,” she easily answered with casual grace.  
  
“I’m sorry, I’ll be right back,” he reassured her, then spoke to the waiter to make sure that his foreign guest would be comfortable in his absence, before heading back to the lift lobby. He was glad that the lift was still on the seventh floor, and stepped in, hitting the ‘4’ button without hesitation. He was never one to jump into things on impulse, not until he got involved with Fuji and his inexplicable whims. Apparently Fuji still had a hold on him after all these years.  
  
Being alone in the lift made it easier to think, and Tezuka started to question his own actions. Why was he doing this? What was he going to say to Fuji? Did he even have the right to ask if Fuji was happy?  
  
He had been the one to initiate their breakup when he decided to leave Japan, but he had tried to stay in contact as a friend, keeping the Japanese tradition of sending New Year cards every year. Fuji never replied, apart from the one time he wrote to thank him for the cards all those years, but also telling him to stop sending them because he was moving away from home.  
  
There had been no return address on the envelope.  
  
Maybe Fuji hasn’t forgiven his decision after all these years. Maybe he was behaving oddly because he was with that man, and that man knew about their history. Or maybe Fuji just wasn’t happy to see him at all. He suddenly recalled a conversation he had with Oishi some years ago...  
  
_“Oishi, is Fuji… doing well?”  
  
“Mm. He’s like how he’s been.”  
  
“Does he hate me?”  
  
“Tezuka, why don’t you ask him personally?”  
  
“……”  
  
“Eiji says, even if you tore his heart out and trampled on it, he would never bring himself to hate you.”_  
  
Maybe Eiji was wrong and Fuji hated him after all.  
  


* * *

  
Fuji’s hand trembled as he pushed the button to get to the seventh floor. He couldn’t remember when was the last time he felt so nervous. He looked into the reflective wall of the lift to make sure he looked all right, only realizing then how ridiculous the whole situation was.  
  
He felt like some lovestruck schoolgirl about to make a confession. Asking a friend out for coffee shouldn’t be so nerve-wrecking, even if he had been hiding from said friend for the past 12 years.  
  
Even if said friend was an ex-lover whom he still held strong feelings for.  
  
It felt like barely a second had passed before the lift stopped and the doors smoothly pulled away. Taking a deep breath, Fuji stepped out on to the seventh floor and looked around, immediately faced with an obstacle. There were three restaurants on this floor, and no Tezuka in sight.  
  
He stood in the middle of the lift lobby, his hands clenched into fists as he pondered his choices. He could try his luck and search for Tezuka, restaurant by restaurant, or he could simply walk away like he had done before. He was tempted to pick the latter and shrink back into the comfort zone he had built around himself over the years, where Tezuka existed only in his memories.  
  
However, Saeki’s voice echoed in his head, spurring him to muster the courage needed to take the step he had been refraining himself from taking all this while.  
  
He hoped Tezuka had made a reservation, so that he could simply ask the staff to check their guest list, since he doubted any of the hotel’s high-end restaurants would entertain a non-diner’s request to search for someone who might not even be dining at their establishment. Putting on a graceful smile, Fuji walked up to the first restaurant in sight.

  
* * *

  
Tezuka looked up as a chime went off and the lift doors glided open. He was about to step out, when an elderly couple who were about to board the lift looked at him and asked if the lift was heading down. Tezuka looked up at the display and realized that he had been too caught up in his thoughts, he had failed to notice that the lift had stopped at the fifth floor. His brows furrowed slightly at his own carelessness. Politely answering the elderly couple’s question, he then stepped aside to allow them to enter, holding the button to keep the doors open for them.  
  
It didn’t take long for the lift to descend to the fourth floor. The moment the doors slid apart, the lanky figure of the man who was with Fuji came into sight. Calmly alighting from the lift, Tezuka took a quick glance around in search of Fuji, before his gaze fell back on to the man.  
  
“Might you be looking for Syuusuke?”  
  
Hazel eyes widened slightly at the question. Syuusuke. So this man was on first-name basis with Fuji. He still couldn’t remember where he had met this man before.  
  
“Yes. Would you be able to tell me where he is?”  
  
“He went upstairs to look for you. He’ll come back soon, so you might wanna wait for him here.”  
  
Tezuka nodded, and uttered a word of thanks.  
  
“I’m sorry, I can’t seem to remember your name. I’m sure we’ve met before.”  
  
“Saeki Kojirou. Rokkaku-chuu vice-captain. That’s when we met.”  
  
Things clicked into place and unlocked Tezuka’s memories of his Seigaku days. Rokkaku. They had met at the nationals. If his memory served him right, Saeki was Fuji’s childhood friend. That would explain the first-name basis… but something in the other man’s eyes made Tezuka think that Saeki and Fuji weren’t simply just friends.  
  
“I remember now. Please forgive my rudeness, I’m not good with names.”  
  
“No worries,” Saeki said with a small smile, “It’s been a long time after all. I would have probably forgotten your name too, if not for Syuusuke.”  
  
The ex-Seigaku captain fell silent for a moment, his lips pursed.  
  
Saeki’s gaze drifted to Tezuka’s fingers again, just to make sure. He could almost visualize the indescribable tension rippling through Tezuka’s body, despite the man’s efforts to compose himself. That tension, Tezuka’s presence... Tezuka’s reactions, albeit minimal, whenever he spoke of Fuji, they all pointed to the possibility that Tezuka came looking for Fuji for the same reasons Fuji went after Tezuka.  
  
“Tezuka-san, it’s probably out of line for me to say this, but... if that lady you were with is someone special to you, please, let Syuusuke know, even if he doesn’t ask.”  
  
Tezuka looked at Saeki with a questioning glance, silently considering his options before asking in a controlled voice, “May I ask why?”  
  
“Because Syuusuke…,” Saeki began, but stopped short of spilling the truth. Knowing Fuji, all hell would be let loose if he told Tezuka that Fuji had been pining for him for the longest time. Not that Fuji would ever admit to it, though.  
  
“He just needs to know. That’s all I can say.”  
  
Tezuka rendered Saeki with a scrutinizing gaze, trying to unravel the reason behind those words. Why would Saeki ask such a thing of him? What position was Saeki in to be concerned over what he told Fuji or not?  
  
“Are you and Fuji…,” he asked cautiously.  
  
A small grin fleeted past on Saeki’s lips.  
  
“Dating? I’d love to say yes, but no, unfortunately we’re not.”  
  


* * *

  
Fuji didn’t have any luck at the first restaurant, but he did have better luck on his second attempt, though the staff at the podium had informed him that Tezuka had stepped out for a moment. He contemplated on waiting for Tezuka to return, but a buzz in his pocket drew his attention away from his thoughts.  
  
He reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. Yumiko had texted him, asking for his whereabouts. He had less than 15 minutes till the wedding ceremony, and he wanted to convince (or coerce, if convincing didn’t work) Yuuta into surrendering his last hug as a bachelor to his dearest aniki.  
  
Tezuka was important to him, but not as much as Yuuta. Fuji borrowed a pen and paper from the restaurant staff and quickly scribbled a note to Tezuka, handing it to the staff to pass it on to Tezuka when he gets back.

_Catch up? I’ll be at my old place till tomorrow. - Fuji_

  
Assuming that Tezuka wanted to catch up as well, that would leave Tezuka with less than 20-hours to either call him at his parents’ house, or show up on the doorstep. That was if Tezuka even remembered his old address and phone number. The odds weren’t exactly in his favour. He could have left his current mobile phone number, but he had been safeguarding it for years, he wasn’t about to give it up right now.  
  
Leaving things in the hands of fate, Fuji hastened his pace to get back to the fourth floor, hoping that he could still catch Yuuta before the ceremony.  
  
When he emerged from the lift, he was greeted with the sight of Tezuka and Saeki caught in some sort of conversation at the lift lobby. The prickly atmosphere that hung between the two men nearly made his blood freeze.  
  
“Kojirou…?”  
  
Saeki looked past Tezuka to see Fuji gingerly stepping towards them. Tezuka turned around at the sound of Fuji’s voice.  
  
“Ah good, you’re back. Tezuka-san has been waiting for you.”  
  
Fuji was quick to plaster on his usual smiling facade this time, adrenaline now flooding his system as it hit him that Tezuka had left the restaurant to come looking for him.  
  
“Syuusuke, I’ll sign us in and wait for you by the reception desk,” Saeki said with a smile, and briefly bowed to Tezuka as he excused himself.  
  
Fuji watched Saeki for a moment, before shifting his attention to Tezuka. It was only now that he was clear-headed enough to take a proper look at Tezuka.  
  
Tezuka hadn’t changed much over the years. The most obvious difference was that he was now impeccably dressed in a dark grey suit that did way more justice to his tall slender figure than their gakuran uniforms did back then. He wore his hair a little bit shorter and neater now, but his signature windswept side parting was still a loyal part of his look. Signs of exhaustion were evident under his eyes, but other than that, he didn’t look much older than the 18-year-old boy that lived in Fuji’s memories.  
  
Tezuka had always looked more mature than his actual age when he was a teen anyway. If their meeting hadn’t been so unexpected, Fuji would have been amused by how Tezuka finally looked his age.  
  
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”  
  
“It’s nothing.”  
  
Their eyes met, and everything but time seemed to come to a halt. Seconds ticked away, before the sound of the lift doors closing interrupted the moment and brought them back to the task at hand.  
  
“I was wondering if you would like to go for a drink--”  
“Would you like to catch up over a meal or a drink--”  
  
Russet and cerulean orbs widened at their overlapping of words, and another silent pause came between them, until Fuji dismissed the awkward silence with a soft chuckle.  
  
“Yes, I would like to. Are you available tomorrow?” he asked, feeling a little less tense now.  
  
“I’m on duty tomorrow. How about the day after?”  
  
“I can’t… I’m going back to Chiba tomorrow night.”  
  
“Tonight, then?” Tezuka suggested after some thought. It wasn’t the most ideal option, but he had a feeling that he would be losing more than just a chance to catch up if he let Fuji slip away this time.  
  
“Are you sure? The wedding dinner’s probably going to end late, and you said you have to work tomorrow?”  
  
“I don’t have to report in till noon.”  
  
“The banquet would most likely end around 10. Then there’s the after-party, but I think I can escape from that. I’ll meet you at one of the bars upstairs? On the 45th floor.”  
  
Tezuka nodded, “I’ll see you later then.”  
  
“Oh, um… I left a note for you. At the restaurant,” Fuji said as Tezuka stepped past him to press the button for the lift. “Guess you won’t be needing it now.”  
  
Fuji tilted his head to look at Tezuka, who gave him a nod in acknowledgement. Tezuka was right beside him now, at an even closer proximity than they had been in the enclosed lift earlier on. Being physically near to Tezuka never used to bother him, but this bit of closeness was not playing well with his sanity right now.  
  
“Also, sorry to have kept your date waiting. See you later, Tezuka.”  
  
Fuji smiled and swiftly made his way towards the chapel before Tezuka could offer a response.  
  


* * *

  
Saeki was where he said he’d be when Fuji entered the waiting hall, right next to the reception desk, with a champagne flute in hand, making small chat with the representatives at the desk… at which Fuji’s eyebrow twitched. He should have seen this coming, but his mind was so preoccupied with his encounter with Tezuka, it completely slipped his mind. He really wasn’t in the mood to act sociable in front of that person at this moment.  
  
Thankfully, Saeki had noticed him and came over to him instead.  
  
“How’d it go?”  
  
“I’ll tell you later. I want to catch Yuuta before the ceremony starts. Do you want to come along?”  
  
“We’d have to hurry then. They’ve already begun ushering guests into the chapel,” Saeki muttered as he downed the remaining contents of his glass and handed the empty champagne flute to a passing waiter.  
  
Fuji nodded and smoothly meandered through the room full of strangers to get to the green room at the far end of the hall, Saeki trailing closely behind him. Yumiko had texted him the directions.  
  
He quietly knocked on the door twice, and the door swung open almost instantaneously.  
  
“Syusuke, what took you so long!” Yumiko softly chided as she held the door open so that the two young men could enter, her other hand arched behind to support her lower back.  
  
Fuji smiled sheepishly at his sister and leaned forward to give her a hug, careful not to bump into her pregnant belly.  
  
“It’s just you and Yuuta?” Fuji asked as he gently placed his hands on Yumiko’s belly in a gesture of greeting the little one inside.  
  
“Mum and Dad are out there talking to the guests. You ought to be there too, you know.”  
  
“But Yuuta doesn’t like me talking to his friends… right, Yuuta?” He teased, tilting his head to glance over at the groom who was by the dresser, struggling with his cufflinks.  
  
Yuuta looked up with an exasperated sigh, “It’s a pain when they get attracted to you and I have to explain that you’re my brother, not sister,” he lamented as he gave up on his cufflinks and walked over to his siblings to get help.  
  
“Is that why none of them have ever asked me out?” Fuji asked with a look of mock surprise on his face as he pulled Yuuta’s arm closer and took the cufflinks from him.  
  
Yuuta couldn’t resist the urge to roll his eyes. “Aniki would you please cut your hair already? How do you tolerate being around that mane all the time, Sae-san.”  
  
Saeki shrugged his shoulders, “I’m not taking sides, but some of our regular customers would probably disappointed if Syuusuke cut his hair. It’s kinda become part of his image, to be honest.”  
  
“Speaking of friends, I certainly thought you’d pick someone more… pleasant, to man the reception desk.”  
  
“Mizuki-san’s perfect for that position. We went to the same school, we work in the same company, he knows most of the people I’ve invited.”  
  
“If you say so.” Fuji mumbled as he made quick work with Yuuta’s cuffs, then proceeded to straighten his tie.  
  
Yuuta raised an eyebrow at his brother’s reaction. His prodigious brother always had some witty comeback, especially where Mizuki was concerned. He hadn’t expected Syuusuke to give up his case so easily. He turned his head to shoot Saeki a questioning glance, mouthing to the older man, _“What’s wrong with him?!”_  
  
“All done. Now, a hug for good luck.” Fuji announced with a wide smile and opened his arms.  
  
Yuuta stared at his brother for a moment, a look of bewilderment on his face. “I don’t need luck to get married, Aniki,” he argued, but stepped forward to receive the hug anyway. “And why the hell are you wearing a bowtie? You look like you work at some butler cafe.”  
  
Fuji only chuckled as he tightened his arms around Yuuta and gave him a good pat on the back. Once Fuji was satisfied, Saeki stepped closer and offered Yuuta a congratulatory handshake, which Yuuta gladly took.  
  
A moment later, the wedding concierge came to usher them into the chapel for the ceremony as all the guests have been seated. Fuji lent Yumiko a hand and carefully led the way. Yuuta waited till his siblings were a small distance away, before sidling up to Saeki.  
  
“I know he’s always odd, but he’s being extra odd today. Tell me I’m not the only one sensing it.”  
  
Saeki had to stifle a laugh, not wanting Fuji to catch on to their little conversation.  
  
“We ran into Tezuka in the lift.”  
  
“Tezuka?! That explains a lot. And…?”  
  
“They had a short chat. I think they probably made plans, but Syuusuke has yet to tell me.”  
  
“If he’s telling anyone, it’s you, Sae-san. He never talks to us about such stuff.”  
  
“I’ll let you know if anything drastic happens,” Saeki said with a nod and a reassuring pat on the younger man’s shoulder, despite the grin stretching across his lips, “You shouldn’t be worried about that right now, just focus on how _not_ to screw up your vows.”  
  
“Sae-san! Not you too!” Yuuta grumbled, his palms getting sweaty now that Saeki had planted that thought in his head. “One devious elder brother is enough trouble, I don’t need another one.”  
  
“Don’t worry, you got a good luck hug from Syuusuke, you’ll do fine.”  
  
The silver-haired man flashed a cheeky smile and waved as he left Yuuta’s side to take his seat a row behind the Fuji family.

  
* * *

  
The ceremony went without a hitch, much to Yuuta’s relief. As the guests were adjourning to the banquet hall on the 42nd floor, Saeki caught his friend by the elbow, pulling him closer so that he could speak more discreetly.  
  
“So…?”  
  
Fuji looked up at the taller man, a smile warming up his face. “We’ve made plans to meet after dinner.”  
  
“What about the after-party?”  
  
“I’ll show up for a few minutes, propose a few toasts to make everyone drink, then slip away while they’re tipsy,” Fuji said with a playful grin.  
  
When he didn’t get a response from Saeki, he looked up again to find the other staring at him.  
  
“Is there something on my face?”  
  
Saeki broke out of his daze with an awkward laugh, shoving his hands into his pockets as he shifted his gaze away from Fuji’s face.  
  
“Yeah. A beautiful smile. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you smile like that.”  
  
The honey-haired man paused for a second, before regaining his pace and falling in step with Saeki, a smile still playing on his lips.  
  
“Well, it’s not every day that I get to see my brother walk down the aisle.”  
  
“Are you going to tell said brother about the plans you have for tonight?”  
  
“...I guess I do owe him the courtesy of letting him know that I won’t be staying for the party.”  
  
“He’ll be happy to hear it from you.”  
  
“I’m sorry for bailing out on you too, Kojirou. But you’ll be still staying over, right?”  
  
Saeki nodded. “Unless… you’re intending on inviting Tezuka over. In which case I hope you’ll do me the courtesy and give me a heads up. I think I’ll be scarred for life if I walked in on you and Tezuka having sex.”  
  
“Kojirou!” Fuji exclaimed in a hushed voice, a blush creeping into his cheeks.  
  
Saeki tilted his head to glance at Fuji, who was staring at him with an incredulous look on his delicately tinted face. He had been friends with Fuji for as long as he could remember, but this was one expression he had never seen before. He couldn’t suppress the laughter that bubbled up his throat.  
  
“Stop laughing,” Fuji muttered, jabbing his friend in the side with his elbow. “First of all, I’m not inviting Tezuka home. Second, we’re adults now, not teenagers without enough pocket money to pay for a room elsewhere. Third, we’re just going to have a chat, that’s all.”  
  
“You’re not going to go weak in the knees in even if he seduced you?” Saeki teased, throwing Fuji a knowing wink.  
  
Azure eyes narrowed into slits, and the corners of Fuji’s lips rose into a smirk as he leaned closer to whisper into Saeki's ear.  
  
“Tezuka, seducing? The sexiest thing he’s ever said was, ‘Fuji, fifty laps for planting indecent images of you in my mind’, before pushing me up against the lockers. After which we actually ran fifty laps, he was serious about it.”  
  
Saeki’s eyes widened as it took no effort for the scene to form in his head.  
  
“Whoh w-wait… I didn’t need to know that. Damn you, Syuusuke. Now I’ll never be able to look at Tezuka without imagining him saying that.”  
  
Fuji chuckled gleefully. Revenge was sweet.  
  
“Just so you know, we’ve never done it in my room, so your worries are unfounded. Today won’t be an exception.”  
  
Saeki pulled his hands out of his pockets to cover his ears in a fluster, “Okay, okay, you win. Stop. I don’t want more fun facts about your sexy adventures with Tezuka regardless if they’re in or out of the bedroom.”

 

* * *

  
When Fuji told Yuuta that he couldn’t stay for the after party, the younger man didn’t ask for a reason. Instead, he stiffly put his arms around his brother in a hug.  
  
“For good luck,” he reasoned, trying to fight off a blush.  
  
Fuji’s lips parted in surprise, unable to find any words. Yuuta taking the initiative to hug him was just about as rare as a solar eclipse.  
  
“Thanks, I could really use some good luck tonight,” Fuji softly said with a smile.  
  


tbc...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be entirely Tezuka/Fuji centric. :3


	2. Fate's Lighthouse

A finger on the rim of his glass, Fuji absentmindedly traced the rounded edge as he stared out of the large window that overlooked the city lights of Shinjuku. He hadn’t expected that Tezuka would arrive later than him, but he welcomed the wait. It allowed him to sort out his thoughts, and gave time for his body to break down the alcohol he had taken as a result of saving Yuuta from his friends’ drinking games earlier on.

Tezuka walked into the bar 13 minutes later, he could see the tall silhouette of the bespectacled man in the reflection of the glass. Swirling around in his chair, he made a small wave of his hand, though Tezuka appeared to have already noticed him before that and was making his way over.

Fuji watched as Tezuka walked around the bar counter to get to where he was seated by the window, and decided that he liked seeing Tezuka in a pressed suit. 

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. I had to send my friend back to her hotel,” the ex-captain explained as he took the seat opposite of Fuji.

“You look good in a suit,” Fuji commented with a smile, reaching for the drink menu and sliding it across the small table. The words had slipped from his lips before his brain registered Tezuka’s reason for arriving late.

Tezuka seemed to have some difficulty processing the unexpected compliment.

“Fuji, are you drunk?”

“Is my face still red?”

“A little,” Tezuka answered, schooling away the thought of reaching over to feel the other’s warm, flushed cheeks. It then struck him that this was the first time he had seen a drunken Fuji; they hadn’t been old enough to drink when they were involved. “How many drinks have you had?”

“Mmm… about 5 beers, 2 glasses of wine and 2 glasses of champagne, I think?” Fuji muttered as he counted with his fingers.

“And you’re still drinking that?” Tezuka asked with a stern glare at the half-empty glass of Gin and Tonic before Fuji.

Fuji chuckled, “I’m still clear-headed, _buchou_. Don’t baby me.”

Tezuka raised an eyebrow at the way Fuji addressed him. It made it harder to deduce if Fuji was truly sober or in a drunken stupor and denying it. When the waiter came around to take his order, he ordered an orange juice for himself and an apple juice for Fuji.

“This is the first time we’re having drinks together and you’re having juice?”

“I drove.”

Fuji took a sip from his glass to divert his gaze away from Tezuka’s face. Of course. Didn’t Tezuka just mention sending his friend home? A smile slipped into place on Fuji’s face.

“Did you have trouble finding me?”

There were three bars on this floor, Aurora Lounge, Pole Star and Little Bear. The first had been reserved for Fuji Yuuta’s after-party. Looking at the names of the establishments, Tezuka didn’t take a second before he was walking into Little Bear. Seeing Fuji by the window had somehow given him a small sense of satisfaction and relief. Fuji was still the Fuji he knew.

“Not at all.”

Fuji’s smile widened a little, and Tezuka felt his heart skip. This smile was real, he could tell. He could still tell.

A span of silence fell between them, even after the waiter came and left, leaving their beverages on the table. Tezuka placed the tall glass of apple juice in front of Fuji and moved his alcoholic drink aside.

“Are you my mother?” Fuji asked with amusement in his voice as he watched Tezuka fuss over his choice of drink.

“No, but I’m a doctor, and I care for your health.”

“So it’s Tezuka- _sensei_.” Fuji perked up a little at the new Tezuka Fact. “I always thought you’d go pro. Was it your shoulder?”

Tezuka nodded. Fuji noticed the tinge of regret ghosting over his handsome face. “I had intended to, but the intensive training and continuous tournaments required for me to climb the ranks aggravated my old injuries faster than they could recover.”

Fuji stared at Tezuka’s shoulder, longing to reach over to soothe and massage it, like he used to in the past. “Can you still play?”

Another curt nod. “I stopped pursuing tennis as a career before it went beyond repair. Do you still play?”

“Kojirou and his old teammates meet up to play once a month, they let me crash in. I guess I belong to Team Rokkaku now,” Fuji joked with a soft laugh.

The ex-Seigaku captain felt a strange sensation in his chest, but he wasn’t sure if it was the mention of _Kojirou_ , or Fuji saying that he _belonged_ to Rokkaku that caused it. At that moment, he felt like telling Fuji that he belongs to Seigaku, with him, but he knows that he is no longer synonymous with Seigaku, and he was the one who had given up what he had with Fuji.

He took a sip of juice to push that bitter taste in his mouth down his throat, refusing to acknowledge the horribly childish thought.

“It wasn’t a date,” he stated abruptly, not knowing what better to say, or when better to broach the topic.

Fuji looked up at Tezuka, his head tilted slightly in question and his smile faltering a little.

“Dr. Hailey Pearce. She is one of the top gynaecologists in London, and my mentor when I was an intern. She’s here for work, so we met up for dinner. I’m not seeing anyone.”

Fuji stared at Tezuka for a moment, many thoughts running through his mind, but mostly _Tezuka’s not seeing anyone_. He looked into the other’s deep, honest hazel eyes and felt his heart clench. Tezuka wasn’t lying, he never lied. But Tezuka never used to bothered about what others thought of him either.

“Kojirou said something to you, didn’t he? Sorry about him,” Fuji muttered sheepishly, making a mental note to corner Saeki for the details when he got home. “Wait… did you just say you’re a gynaecologist?”

Tezuka reached into the inner pocket of his blazer and took out a black leather card holder, pulling out a name card and presenting it to Fuji. Taking the card in both hands, Fuji examined the card as if it was an exquisite piece of art, caressing the name printed on it with his gaze.

 _Tezuka Kunimitsu, M.D., Ph.D._ _  
_ _Obstetrics and Gynaecology_

“I never knew doctors carried name cards,” he said with a soft chuckle.

“I usually only get to use them when meeting other doctors at seminars and meetings.”

Reaching for his wallet, Fuji carefully put the card away, before taking out another card and handing it to Tezuka.

“It doesn’t have my name on it, but I run a small cafe in Chiba now, with Kojirou.”

“I know.”

Tezuka ran a fingertip across the card. It had dark blue glossy fonts embossed on a textured light sand coloured card; it looked simple but with a rustic charm, unlike his sterile white hospital business cards.

“You knew?”

“I found out from Inui. I’ve actually been there once, to see you, but I didn’t go in,” the bespectacled man explained, recalling the trip he made to Chiba two years ago.

“No… you… I don’t… why didn’t you come in?” Fuji stuttered, bewildered. He couldn’t count the number of times he had mistaken the silhouette of a pedestrian across the street for Tezuka. And to think that it really had been Tezuka at least once… he felt his chest tighten and his blood burn.

“I saw you with a woman, both of you looked close and happy… I thought it wasn’t a good time.”

Fuji fell silent, his head hung low and his brows furrowed in deep thought. Tezuka wrapped his fingers tightly around his glass, wishing he had the conversation skills to change the topic this instant. Fuji’s abandoned glass of Gin and Tonic seemed very appealing out of a sudden.

After a pregnant pause, Fuji’s head snapped up in realisation, and his shoulders started shaking in laughter.

“...Fuji?”

Taking a deep breath, Fuji straightened himself and looked at Tezuka, cerulean eyes gleaming with mirth.

“That woman you saw was probably Kojirou’s elder sister. She does indeed hug and kiss me a lot. But she does that to Kojirou all the time too. She got married last year and just gave birth to a baby girl two months ago, Tezuka-sensei.”

Tezuka felt a wave of embarrassment, consolation, and desire wash over him all at the same time. So Fuji wasn’t married and wasn’t attached to that Saeki guy. His lips unconsciously curved into a small smile.

“It’s unlike you to jump to conclusions,” Fuji commented, though he realised that he too had almost made the same mistake by assuming that Tezuka was attached to Hailey Pearce. He had to thank Saeki, but that would come after he grilled him about the conversation he had with Tezuka.

“My bad,” Tezuka admitted, stealing another glance at the Gin and Tonic, but taking a drink from his glass of orange juice. Fuji stirred his apple juice with the straw and took a sip too. The smile on his face was getting warmer and truer, Tezuka noticed.

“Now that misunderstandings are out of the way… why obstetrics and gynecology? You becoming a doctor is not all that surprising, but I never imagined you having anything to do with babies... Echizen being the exception.”

“In my sophomore year, I witnessed a group of activists protesting against homosexuality, saying that it’s against the laws of nature, against god’s will. That god created male and female so that they could procreate. It gave me a lot to think…”

Fuji quietly sipped on his juice, placing every ounce of attention on Tezuka, taking in every minute expression on his face and in his voice, feeling the weight of his words. He had a feeling that this was a subject that Tezuka kept close to his heart.

“...it occurred to me that I would likely not marry and have children of my own, so I decided I would do what I could to make every birth count.”

When Tezuka finished talking and looked to the other, he was faced with the soft, almost loving gaze of dazzling blue eyes that made him momentarily forget the need to breathe.

“You’re a good man, Tezuka. It would be a pity if no one inherits your genes,” Fuji muttered softly.

Tezuka thought Fuji sounded somewhat wistful.

***

It started raining at slightly past midnight, raindrops pelting against the glass window beside them distracting the both of them for a while. It felt like they had talked more in the past hour than they hadn’t in the past 11 years. They talked about London, work, tennis and old teammates, anything but relationships, carefully treading around the subject in unspoken agreement.

As the city lights dimmed into a wet bokeh, they indulged in a few moments of comfortable silence, watching the oddly therapeutic sight of raindrops splattering and dripping down the glass.

Fuji stole a glance at Tezuka, and was surprised to find warm russet eyes staring back at him.

“Should we leave? You have to work tomorrow, don’t you?” Fuji asked, looking down at his watch in attempt to hide a rising blush.

“How are you getting home?” Tezuka asked in return as he took out his wallet and slid Fuji’s business card into one of the empty slots. In that moment, Fuji caught a glimpse of the note he had left Tezuka earlier that night, sticking out uncharacteristically from the neat column of cards.

“I… I’ll just catch a taxi,” Fuji mumbled absently as he pulled out his wallet to pay for his share of the drinks, but was stopped by Tezuka who insisted that he’d pay.

“You can get the bill the next time,” Tezuka reasoned despite the fact that they hadn’t spoken a word about a next time. “Let me send you home, it’s hard to get a taxi when it rains.”

Fuji was about to refuse the offer, but Tezuka had already started on his way out.

***

Being in the passenger seat of Tezuka’s car was an entirely different experience from riding in Saeki’s car.

Saeki loved to chat while driving, often making comments and jokes about other drivers and pedestrians they’d come across. Sometimes he’d sing along to whatever he had on his audio system, which mostly comprised of Japanese songs by Shonannokaze, L’Arc-en-Ciel and Amuro Namie. His dashboard was lined with a rainbow of Bearbrick figurines, and he almost always had a beverage in the cup holder.

Tezuka, on the other hand, was completely silent behind the wheel, as Fuji had expected. His dashboard was spotless, save for a neatly folded microfibre cloth sitting at the end nearer to the driver’s seat, which he probably used to keep the dashboard so impeccably clean. The only accessory he had was an air freshener clipped to the air conditioning vent. To Fuji’s surprise, Tezuka played English pop music on his stereo.

“I remember you as a classical music kind of person,” Fuji casually commented when the vehicle slowed to a halt at a traffic junction, recalling the small collection of classical music albums Tezuka had on a shelf in his room many years ago.

“My colleagues gave it to me before I left London. It keeps me in touch with the English language,” Tezuka explained, taking a quick glance at Fuji before turning his eyes back on the road, the faintest of a smile tugging on his lips. “I do have classical on the system, would you prefer that?”

“No, this is nice.”

It felt like he was discovering a new side of Tezuka, and that brought a smile to Fuji’s face.

They remained wordless for the most of the journey, until a particular song caught Fuji’s fancy with its laid back yet catchy melody and the vocalist’s coquettishly charming voice. He turned to look at Tezuka, asking for the title of the song just as they turned into the street the Fuji residence was on.

Tezuka visibly stiffened.

“Kiss Me...” he muttered as he pulled to a stop in front of Fuji’s lot. He looked over to the man in the passenger seat, locking gazes with widened azure eyes. His eyes wandered to Fuji’s lips, lingering for a moment too long. Fuji had simply frozen under Tezuka’s fervent gaze.

“...by a band called Sixpence None the Richer,” he quickly added when Fuji offered no response. Suddenly it felt like the temperature in the vehicle had risen by a few degrees. It was still raining, albeit less heavily, but Tezuka had never been more thankful that he had a reason to get out of his own car.

Instructing Fuji to wait in the vehicle, Tezuka stepped out and went around to retrieve an umbrella from the rear storage, opening it before walking to the passenger’s door. Fuji wasn’t smiling when he emerged from the car. A gust of wind blew past and Tezuka watched the way Fuji’s long silken strands danced, all the while thinking of how much he wanted to run his fingers through that hair and kiss Fuji right there and then.

“You didn’t have to. I may have long hair, but I’m not some damsel in distress,” Fuji said teasingly with a small smile as they walked up to the house.

“You’re far more precious than that,” Tezuka honestly replied, almost inaudibly. If he sensed Fuji looking up at him, he pretended not to notice, keeping his line of sight straight ahead.

Fuji walked up the steps to the porch while Tezuka stayed on the footpath. Spinning around, Fuji smiled and held out a hand in gesture of a friendly handshake, “Thanks for the night, and for driving me home. It was nice catching up.”

“It was nice talking to you,” Tezuka agreed, taking Fuji’s hand in a firm handshake, though he knew full well that neither of them had actually spoken about the things they really wanted to say or ask. “Would it be alright if I visited your cafe some time?”

Fuji nodded as he reluctantly let go of Tezuka’s hand, bidding his friend a good night.

He stared at Tezuka’s back as it got further and thought about the time their positions had been the other way around. His heart was pounding so hard it hurt. Did Tezuka feel the same when he watched him walk away? His hands clenched into fists; he could still feel the warmth of Tezuka’s hand lingering in his palm. Tears welled up in his eyes.

“Tezuka!”

Hearing his name, Tezuka turned and hesitantly took a step back up the path, his eyes fixed on Fuji. Even from a distance he could tell that Fuji was tense. He felt an overwhelming urge to move closer, to hold Fuji, soothe him and tell him that everything will be okay.

“If you want what I want…” Fuji started, struggling to find the right words, but Tezuka had already dropped his umbrella and was striding towards him. Fuji could do nothing more than gape in helpless awe. Illuminated by the moonlight, braving the rain, Tezuka was the most breathtaking thing he had ever seen. Like a greek god descending to Earth.

Fuji’s feet moved on their own, meeting Tezuka on the steps. And in the next moment, that breathtaking thing had his lips on his own. He closed his eyes and leaned in as if it was the most natural thing to do.

He didn’t know how long it lasted, but when Fuji opened his eyes, Tezuka’s hands were on his face, and his intense gaze was piercing into his soul. Noticing that Tezuka’s back was still getting drenched by the rain, Fuji pulled Tezuka up the steps, and Tezuka took the opportunity to back Fuji up against the door, pressing their lips together again.

Tears escaped from the corners of Fuji’s eyes as his long kept emotions overflowed. Breaking the kiss, Tezuka looked at Fuji with a tender gaze and gently wiped away the streams staining Fuji’s fair face with his thumbs. His heart ached at the sight of Fuji’s tears.

“Fuji… I want us to be together. I want to hold you, kiss you. I want to call you Syuusuke and you to call me Kunimitsu. Is that what you want too?” Tezuka asked in a whisper, resting his forehead against Fuji’s, closing his eyes tightly and hoping that he hadn’t just ruined whatever was left of their friendship.

“Yes…” Fuji answered in a shaky voice, his hands clutching on to Tezuka’s damp jacket.

“But…?” Tezuka asked softly, pulling back slightly, scrutinizing Fuji’s face for clues. He could sense that Fuji had his reservations.

Fuji gazed up at Tezuka longingly, his right hand moving to touch Tezuka’s face, as if checking if he was real, wiping away the raindrops that wet his skin. “I’m scared… I don’t think I can handle losing you a second time,” he confessed ruefully, another crystalline droplet falling down his cheek.

Tezuka wrapped his arms tightly around the slighter man, pulling him into a strong embrace. “There won’t be a second time, unless you decide so. I’m not going anywhere this time.”

Fuji snaked his arms around Tezuka, leaning his head against Tezuka’s chest, but remaining silent. He could hear Tezuka’s heartbeat thumping just as quickly as his own, and feel the warmth radiating from under his shirt, smell his familiar scent. Being in Tezuka’s arms like this felt so comforting and so natural, he was mortified by how quickly the wall that he had so carefully built and kept around himself for so long was crumbling to dust in a single night.

“Take as long as you need. I’ll wait, until you feel that it’s safe to entrust your heart to me again.”

Fuji was quiet for a long while, but Tezuka simply held him close, rubbing slow soothing circles on his back. He could feel Fuji’s breathing calming down and his body gradually relaxing into the embrace.

“Kunimitsu,” Fuji finally whispered when the whirlwind of emotions within him had settled down. He could feel his cheeks heat up as the name rolled off his tongue. He hated to admit it, but he had been longing for this day for the longest time.

Tezuka felt a jolt shoot down his spine at the sound of his given name leaving Fuji’s lips. He loosened his hold on Fuji slightly, just sufficiently so that he could look at Fuji in the eyes.

“Say it again.” Tezuka stared at Fuji in anticipation, like he had just said the most incredulous thing ever.

Fuji couldn’t help but chuckle. Tezuka’s expression had hardly changed, but he had this sparkle in his eyes that was utterly adorable. Fuji took a deep breath and cupped Tezuka’s face with both hands, holding his gaze as he said softly but surely, “I’ll need a bit of time to find my bearings, but I want you to hold me and kiss me. I want to hold you and kiss you back. I want us to be together, Kunimitsu.”

“Syuusuke.”

Fuji smiled, and when Tezuka mirrored him with the same gentle smile he showed him 13 years ago, he felt a warm fuzz spread through his entire body, making his heart race and his skin tingle.

“ _Kiss me_ ,” he breathed, gazing into Tezuka’s eyes and slinging his arms around Tezuka’s neck for leverage. Tezuka gladly complied, covering Fuji’s lips with his own, then lightly sucking on Fuji’s lower lip, nibbling, until Fuji parted his lips and allowed him to deepen the kiss.

The next couple of minutes passed in a passionate blur of mingling breaths, frolicking tongues and needy kisses. Tezuka had one hand around Fuji’s waist and another behind Fuji’s back, pressing their bodies together. Fuji’s fingers had found their way into Tezuka’s hair pulling him down almost roughly as their mouths slid to fit, only letting go when the need for air became urgent. They hadn’t seen each other for over a decade, hadn’t even spoken a word until a mere few hours ago, but at that moment all the missing pieces seemed to fall into place. Everything felt right and nothing else mattered.

Fuji smiled giddily as Tezuka continued to lean in to peck at his lips even while they were trying to catch their breaths. Having completely forgotten that they were still on Fuji’s front porch, they both jumped in their skins when a motorcycle zoomed past the lot.

“It’s late. You need your rest,” Fuji gently reminded, caressing Tezuka’s cheek lovingly.

Tezuka took Fuji’s hand in his and dropped a quick kiss on the slender fingers. “There’s one more thing I want from you.”

“Is it sex?” Fuji asked teasingly, grinning.

“Of course not. No, I mean… yes, that would be very nice, but that’s not important now,” Tezuka fought to get his thoughts straight, shooting Fuji a glare.

The honey-haired man barely managed to bite back a chuckle. “Ah, but you _do_ want sex.”

“Fuji,” Tezuka said in a more serious tone.

“Wasn’t it Syuusuke?”

Tezuka’s brows furrowed and he let out a small sigh. Fuji may have grown up but his mischievous streak was still intact.

“I’m sorry. What did you want?” Fuji asked, tilting his head to press a small kiss to Tezuka’s lips in apology.

“I want your phone number. Not this house’s or your cafe’s. Yours. I don’t know how you managed to keep it even from Inui.”

“Umm… this might sound like an excuse, but I don’t remember my own number. The only people who have my number are my family and Kojirou and his family. I don’t use my phone for calling much.”

“Lend me your phone.”

“The battery’s dead. I took too many pictures and videos at Yuuta’s wedding,” Fuji explained with a sheepish smile, fishing out his phone to show that he wasn’t lying.

“You’re impossible.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Fuji beamed. He gave Tezuka’s hand a gentle squeeze, “Your number’s on your card, right? I promise I’ll text you once I manage to resuscitate my phone.”

Tezuka trusted Fuji, but a small part of him felt insecure without any means of contacting Fuji, especially since Fuji didn’t live anywhere near him now. “And if you don’t?”

“If I don’t… Francesca will die a horrible death.”

“Francesca?” Tezuka found the name familiar, and he remembered soon enough. “The cactus? You still have it?”

“Mmhmm.” Fuji nodded, looking pleased, “I’d show you pictures, but my phone’s concussed."

Francesca was a rainbow pincushion cactus that Tezuka had given to Fuji on his 18th birthday. Tezuka was aware that cacti required very little effort to care for, but he certainly hadn’t expected Fuji to still be caring for it after all this time.

Through his years of friendship with Fuji, Tezuka had come to understand that there were two things Fuji Syuusuke never joked about: his brother and his cacti.

“All right. I’ll be waiting for your text then.”

Reluctantly letting go of Fuji, Tezuka placed a kiss on Fuji’s forehead before bidding him goodnight and making a move to leave. Fuji stayed on the porch until Tezuka’s car had gone out of sight, then turned around to head inside.

***

When Fuji entered the house, he immediately saw Saeki grinning like a fool, waiting for him at the top of the stairs.

“Hey, look who’s back. It’s the guy who was making out on the porch,” Saeki teased, trying to keep his voice down so as to not disturb Fuji’s parents, who had already turned in for the night.

“You’re such an ass,” Fuji grumbled under his breath as he made his way up the stairs, but couldn’t help smiling. “You were spying on us?”

“No way! Where’s the fun in watching two dudes making out,” Saeki protested. “But it’s the only reasonable deduction when his car’s been parked there for over 15 minutes, it’s raining but there’s an umbrella on the pathway. That much I could see from your window. Also, you had this happy blush on your face when you walked in. Dead giveaway.”

“All right, Sherlock...” Fuji walked into his room, Saeki trailing in after him. He shrugged off his blazer and hung it up, then moved to plug his phone to its charger, before turning around to corner Saeki with sharp look, “Now, tell me what you said to him.”

“Wha…? I said nothing! I swear I didn’t tell him a thing about how you’ve been holding a torch for him for god knows how long,” Saeki was quick to answer, getting into a slight fluster when he saw that glint in Fuji’s eyes.

“Is that so? That’s weird, because Tezuka voluntarily came clean about not seeing anyone. I wonder why…” Fuji muttered, closing in slowly like a predator, staring into his friend’s shifty cobalt eyes.

“Ha..haha… weird, huh.” Saeki shrugged his shoulders, chuckling awkwardly. Fuji was just a few inches away from him now, he knew he couldn’t escape. “Maybe he wanted to find out if you were available, by giving up information first…?”

Fuji stared at Saeki for another moment before slumping over and resting his head on the taller man’s shoulder. This caught Saeki by surprise, and his body went rigid, not knowing how to react.

“Whatever it is you said to him… thank you. You’re the best, Kojirou.”

Hearing Fuji’s words, Saeki’s expression softened into a wistful smile, and he brought a hand up to pat Fuji’s head. “Liar. If I’m the best why’d you turn me down and go out with Tezuka instead.”

“He was jealous of you, you know? He never once called me Syuusuke, but tonight he decided that he wanted to call me by my name, and wanted me to call him by his.” Fuji chuckled softly, savouring the memory. That definitely went into the top three of his favourite Tezuka moments.

“I’m happy for you, Syuusuke,” Saeki said softly, wrapping his arms around Fuji in a hug, “...but you’re buying me pizza when we get back.”

Fuji stilled at the meaning behind Saeki’s words. Slipping his arms around his friend, he let Saeki stay that way for a few moments, not wishing to disturb the delicate atmosphere in the room.

“Can I still join you on pizza night?” Fuji asked when Saeki finally released his hold on him.

“Only if you bring beer. Ice cream’s optional,” Saeki replied with a smirk, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Oh, and also Yuuta’s wife’s cousin’s number.”

Fuji mentally filtered through the faces he had seen at Yuuta’s wedding, grinning at Saeki slyly, “The one with the long hair in the pastel yellow satin dress tonight?”  

“Bingo. You know me _so_ well.”

“I’ll try, but no promises.”

“You’re the best, Syuusuke.”

They shared a look and broke out into harmonious laughter.

“Speaking of phone numbers…” Fuji muttered, retrieving his wallet to pull out Tezuka’s business card, showing it to Saeki. “Can you believe it? Tezuka’s an obstetrician and gynaecologist.”

“So women strip in his office, _and_ he gets to go out with you? Damn, I should’ve studied harder.”

Fuji chuckled and pat Saeki on the shoulder in mock consolation, “Aww, you don’t have you feel inferior, you make a good cup of coffee, _and_ you can make latte art. That’s sexy.”

“I’m capable of much more than that, idiot,” Saeki snorted, lightly flicking Fuji on the forehead.

Sitting down on his bed, Fuji reached for his phone and switched it on.

“I think I should sleep in Yuuta’s room tonight,” Saeki said as he watched Fuji fiddle with his phone trying to add Tezuka’s details to his contact list.

“Kojirou, if this is about Tezuka, you’re worrying too much. He’s not going to hunt you down just because we slept in the same room.”

“I’d be lying if I said this has nothing to do with Tezuka, but that’s not the main issue. I just want to, okay?”

Fuji looked up at Saeki, slightly concerned, but gave him a calm smile nonetheless. “Okay. I won’t treat you any differently just because Tezuka’s back in the picture, you know that, right?”

“I know. And I believe that Tezuka’s not such an unreasonable man. Although… I won’t deny that I have a small desire to make him jealous again,” Saeki grinned.

“I wouldn’t mind if you did, he gets really fired up in bed when he’s jealous,” Fuji said with the sweetest, most innocent look on his face.

Saeki rolled his eyes and groaned. “That’s it, I’m definitely sleeping in Yuuta’s room. You can have all the phone sex you want, just keep it down, I’m right next door.”

Fuji laughed as Saeki grabbed his belongings and retreated from his room to take shelter in the next room. He typed a quick message on his phone and sent it to Tezuka before heading to wash up.

> _Kojirou suggests that we should have phone sex. What do you say, Kunimitsu?  
>  _ _P.S.: I’m going to take a shower now. ;)_

Tezuka had replied by the time Fuji returned from his shower. Flopping on to his bed, Fuji opened the message, half-expecting a flat-out rejection.

> _Didn’t you say you needed time? How that escalated to phone sex, within the hour, is beyond me.  
>  _ _I’m going to bed. Sweet dreams, Syuusuke.  
>  _ _P.S.: You are absolutely not to discuss our sex life with Saeki Kojirou. Or anyone else._

Smiling to himself, Fuji set his phone aside and rolled over on to his side, reminding himself to text Yuuta in the morning to thank him for the good luck, and to ask for the number Saeki wanted. _Sweet dreams_? Considering how ridiculously happy he was right now, he wondered if he’d even get any sleep tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy end! Thanks for reading! In case you were wondering, the hotel this whole arc took place in actually exists, and there's really a bar named Little Bear in it. :)
> 
> I feel like there's a lot more I can explore with their occupational settings and whatnot, and I had fun playing with the Fuji-Saeki friendship, but I'm not sure where I'd want to take this to at the moment. Let me know what you think! 
> 
> In the meantime, I think I'll go back to writing smut. I admire people who can write romantic emotional sappy stuff and witty dialogue. I wish I could. Too much emo drama hurts my brain XD


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